Lace-fabric making machines



Jan. 17, 1967 WOO 3,298,274

LACE-FABRIC MAKING MACHINES Filed Jan. 18, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2

FIG. I

Jan. 17, 1967 J. o. WOOD LACE-FABRIC MAKING MACHINES 3 Shets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 18, 1.965

Jan. 17, 1967 J. o. WOOD LACE'FABRIC MAKING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 18, 1965 United States Patent 3,298,274 LAtIE-FABRIQ MAKING MACHINES John Oswald Wood, Two Gates, Tamworth, England, assignor to Duniop Rubber Company Limited, London, England, a British company Filed Jan. 18, 1%5, Ser. No. 426,262 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Feb. 1, 1964, 4,364/ 64 7 Claims. (CI. 8724) This invention relates to lace-fabric making machines.

According to the invention, a lace-fabric making machine comprises spaced-apart first and second groups of mounting members for supporting a plurality of wound packages of filamentary material, a plurality of releasable supporting means for holding each mounting member of the second group in a predetermined position relative to the members of the first group, each supporting means for each mounting member being provided for movement clear of the mounting member to form a space or spaces therebetween while at least one other supporting means provides support for the mounting member, means for taking-up lace made from filamentary material drawn from packages supported by the mounting members, and means for forming a balloon of filamentary material being unwound from each of the packages of the first group, each balloon encompassing at least two adjacent mounting members of the second group with adjacent balloons encompassing at least one common mounting member of the second group, and means for driving the forming means, rotary motion of the filamentary material forming the balloons being such that the filamentary material of the balloons does not collide, and the sequence and timing of the operation of the releasable supporting means bein such that the ballooned filamentary material can pass through the said space or space formed between released mounting members and supporting means.

The term balloon used herein refers to the shape traced out by a length of filamentary material when rotated for a full revolution by oifset means while thrown out centrifugally in arcuate form.

In a preferred construction, in respect of each mounting member of the second group, each releasable supporting means comprises at least two supporting catches and the mounting member comprises at least two abutment surfaces for engagement each by at least one of the catches to hold the mounting member in said predetermined position, actuating means being provided for moving the catches into engagement with and clear of the abutment surfaces. In an alternative construction, each supporting means comprises an arm provided at one portion thereof with a seal, the arm being movable into and clear of a position in which the seal lies in fluid-tight engagement with the mounting member associated with the arm to seal a chamber bounded by the seal, arm, and mounting member. A passageway, extending along the arm, connects the chamber with airpressure-reducing means to hold the mounting member in its predetermined position.

In the preferred construction wherein each releasable supporting member comprises at least two supporting catches, it is also preferable that each mounting member of the second group comprises a spindle for supporting a wound package of filamentary material, and said spindle has a plurality of radially outwardly extending projections located in at least two axially-spacedapart positions upon the spindle, the abutment surfaces for engagement with the catches being provided upon radially outer regions of the projections.

ICC

In one form of the preferred construction, the mounting members of the second group are disposed substantially in straight line relationship and the catches are mounted upon common operating shafts each of which is operable by the actuating means simultaneously to move all of the catches mounted upon the shaft into and out of engagement with the abutment surfaces of the mounting members.

In another form of the preferred construction, the mounting members of each group are located in spacedapart positions around an axis to make lace-fabric of tubular form.

It is also preferable that the means for forming a balloon of filamentary material unwound from a package mounted upon a mounting member of the first group comp-rises an eye member having a passageway for passage therethrough of filamentary material, said eye member being rotatably mounted between the groups of mounting members and having an opening to the passageway, the opening being remote from the first group of members and radially offset from the axis of rotttion of the eye member, and means being provided for rotating said eye member.

The invention also includes lacefabric in the manufacture of which a machine as defined above has been used.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side e-levational view of a part of a lace-fabric making machine forming one embodiment of the invention, full details of the machine being omitted for clarity;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of part of the machine taken along line IIII of FIGURE 1 showing the machine in greater detail and on a larger scale than that shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of part of the machine along line III-III in FIGURE 2 with parts of the machine located in different positions from those shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a view, similar to that of FIGURE 2, of a second embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a view of part of the machine shown in FIGURE 4 in the direction of arrow V in FIGURE 4, with parts of the machine located in different positions from those shown in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of part of the machine shown in FIGURE 4 along line VI-VI in FIGURE 4.

In a first embodiment of the invention, shown in FIG- URES 1 to 3 a lace-fabric making machine comprises a first group 1 of mounting members 2 (FIGURE 1) and a second group 3 of mounting members 4, each of the mounting members being provided for carrying a wound package of filamentary yarn material as will be described. As shown in FIGURE 1, the members of each group are arranged within a framework 5 (part only of which is shown) in horizontally-spaced and straight line relationship, and the first group of members 2 are located beneath the second group of members 4, each member 2 being located beneath the spaces between the members 4, one to each space. For convenience, the members 2 and 4 will now be referred to, respectively, as the lower and upper mounting members.

As is shown particularly in FIGURE 2, each mounting member 4 comprises a vertical spindle 6 having two radially-extending projections in the form of an annular horizontally-disposed base plate 7 for supporting a wound package of filamentary material, and an annular horizontal platform 8 axially spaced from the base plate. An end 9 of the spindle extending upwardly from the base plate 7 is provided for location within a wound package of filamentary material to hold the package in a fixed position upon the base plate, the end 9 being provided with an axially extending key (not shown) for location within a complementarily shaped groove formed upon a metal sleeve around which the package is wound to prevent rotation of the package. A rod extending upwardly from the end 9 of the spindle is formed with an eye 9b for the passage therethrough of a length of filamentary material from a wound package to be supported upon the spindle.

The base plate 7 is provided with an upwardly extending rim 10 and the platform 8 is formed in its lower surface with an annular groove 11 in a position adjacent the radially outer edge of the platform. The inner peripheral surface of the rim 10 and the sides and base of the groove form abutment surfaces for engagement with releasable supporting means (to be described) provided for holding the supporting member 4 in a predetermined position within the framework relative to the members 2.

Each upper mounting member 4 is carried within the framework by means of two diametrically opposed releasable supporting means, each of which comprises an upper supporting catch 12 and a lower supporting catch 13. In each supporting means, the upper catch 12 is a metal plate (FIGURE 3) one end of which is provided with an arcuate flange 14 (see particularly FIGURE 2) for engagement with the inner peripheral surface of the rim on the base plate 7. The upper catches 12 located on each side of the upper group of mounting members are secured to a common horizontal operating shaft 15 which is rotatably mounted at its ends within the framework.

The lower catch 13 of each supporting means is in the form of an upwardly inclined arm at some stages of operation located below and to one side of the platform of the upper mounting member as shown in FIGURE 2. The catch 13 is provided with an upper end 16 which is complementary in shape to the cross-sectional shape of the groove 11 and the catch is movable within bearings 17 and 18 within the framework into and out of a position wherein its upper end engages the abutment surfaces of the groove. On the right-hand and left-hand sides of FIG- URE 2, respectively, two catches 13 are shown in and out of their positions in engagement with the groove 11. The lower catches 13 located on each side of the upper group of mounting members are secured to a common horizontal shaft 19 which is slidably mounted at its ends within the framework to move the catches 13 mounted thereon into and out of their positions in engagement with the surface of groove 11.

Actuating means are provided, operably connected to each of the shafts 15 and 19, for releasing each supporting means from engagement with its associated upper mounting member and for re-attaching it thereto. The actuating means comprises, in respect of each shaft 15, a cam 26 rotatable about axis 20 a and operably connected to the shaft, to rotate it upon cam rotation. by means of a linkage system 21, connected to the cam by a cam follower 22, received with a cam groove 23 formed in a face of the cam. To slidably move each shaft 19 to move the catches 13, the actuating means comprises a similar second cam (not shown) and linkage system (also not shown) operably connecting the second cam to the shaft. All of the cams are drivable through suitable gearing (not shown) by an electric motor (also not shown), the phase relationship of the cams and the shape of the cam grooves being such that, during operation, the two supporting means for each upper mounting member are moved alternately into and out of their positions in supporting engagement with the mounting member and each supporting means is not released from this position until the other supporting means is in supporting engagement with the mounting member' FIGURE 3 shows the condition wherein all of the upper catches (and, therefore,

d all of the lower catches) are in their positions of supporting engagement.

Each lower mounting member 2 (FIGURE 2) comprises a spindle 24 provided with a key (not shown) to non-rotatably receive a wound package of filamentary yarn material. Each member 2 also comprises a base plate 25 to support a wound package, a downward extension 26 of the spindle being secured to the framework.

Means are provided for ballooning filamentary material as it is fed upwardly from each package carried on the lower mounting members, by rotating the length of material fed from each of the lower mounting members while throwing it out centrifugally in arcuate form so that the balloon encompasses two adjacent upper mounting members. As shown in FIGURE 2, this means comprises, in respect of each lower member, an eye member 27 having a passageway 28 for the passage therethrough of filamentary material. All of the eye members are rotatably mounted upon the upper surface of a horizontal framework member 29 (FIGURES 1 and 2), each eye member being located in a position above its associated lower-mounting member with its axis of rotation coinciding with the axis of the spindle 24, and with the passageway 28 having an opening 30 remote from the lower mounting member and which is radially offset from the axis of rotation. Means are provided for rotating each eye member, said means comprising a sprocket 31 secured to the eye member and drivably connected to a sprocket 32 by an endless chain 33. Each sprocket 32 is secured to a shaft 34 which is rotatable within and extends through the member 29, and a bevel gear 35 is secured to the other end of the shaft. The bevel gears 35 are rotatable, to rotate the eye members, by means of bevel gears 36 lying in mesh one with each gear 35, the bevel gears 36 being secured to a driving shaft 37 which is drivably connected by gearing (not shown) with the electric motor.

The eye members of all of the lower mounting members are rotated in phase with one another with respect to their centres of rotation so that, in use, the filamentary material forming the balloons does not collide during rotation. Further, the gearing which drives the actuating means for the supporting means and which drives the means for rotating the eye members is arranged so that the sequence and timing of the movement of the supporting means of each upper mounting member into and out of its position of supporting engagement is such that ballooned filamentary material can pass through spaces formed between upper mounting members and the supporting means.

Means is provided for taking up lace made from filamentary material drawn from packages supported by the mounting members, said means comprising a pair of horizontally mounted nip rolls 38 disposed above the groups of mounting members. For driving the nip rolls at a peripheral speed appropriate to the drawing off of the.

filamentary material from the packages at a speed to allow for ballooning of the material, the nip rolls are drivable by gearing 39 and an endless chain and sprocket assembly 40, the assembly 4-0 being drivably connected to the electric motor by an upward extension 41 of one of the shafts 34 which is disposed at one end of the machine.

In use of the machine, a wound package 42 of a length of nylon yarn is non-rotata-bly received upon each of the mounting members, the ends of the lengths 43 of yarn from the lower packages being fed through the eye memher (as shown in FIGURES l and 2), and the ends of the lengths 44 from the upper packages being fed through the eyes 9b. The ends of the lengths 43 and 44 are then passed upwardly in side-by-side relationship and through the nip of the nip rolls 38. The electric driving motor is then switched on and simultaneously drives the nip rolls to draw the material upwardly from the packages, operates the releasable supporting means, and rotates the eye men1- bers 27.

As the lengths of nylon yarn are drawn upwardly by the nip rolls, rotation of each eye member 27 rotates the length 43 of yarn passing therethrough from its respective lower mounting member, while throwing it out centrifugally in arcuate form (FIGURE 2) to form a balloon which encompasses the two upper mounting members 4 and their supported packages lying nearest the lower mounting member. For instance, the length 43 shown on the extreme righbhand side of FIGURE 1, rotates around the mounting member 4, also on the extreme right, and around the neat adjacent left-hand mounting member 4. FIGURE 3, shows in dotted outline, the paths 45 of some of the lengths 43 of yarn as they are rotated around two of the upper mounting members. As each length of yarn forming the balloons is carried around its closed path, the supportin means are alternately released and re-attached to their respective upper mounting members, a space being formed (as shown in FIGURE 2) between the upper mounting members and the supporting means when the supporting means are released therefrom, to allow passage therethrough of a length 43 of nylon yarn being moved around the mounting member.

As the length of yarn from each lower mounting member forms a balloon encompassing the two nearest upper mounting members, it follows that two lengths 43 of yarn are moved around each upper mounting member, alternately from each of the two packages carried on the two immediately adjacent lower mounting members, as can be seen by the positions of the paths 45 in FIGURE 3.

During the ballooning of the lengths 43 of yarn fed from the lower packages around the upper mounting members, these lengths each pass around two adjacent lengths 44 of yarn drawn from the upper packages, so that as the material moves upwardly towards the nip rolls, a continuous length of lace 45 (FIGURE 1) is formed which comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending lengths 43 of nylon yarn each of which is intertwined with the next adjacent length 44 of each of its sides.

In a modification of the first embodiment (not shown), the machine is of more complex form in that each eye member 27 is provided to balloon a length of material around three or more packages carried upon the upper mounting members. In this modified machine the gearing arrangement is modified to move the supporting members for the associating members at a difierent rate from that described above to allow balloons of material to pass through spaces provided between the supporting members and the upper mounting members.

In a further modification of the first embodiment, two upper and two lower groups of mounting members are provided. Each upper group is disposed above a lower group in the manner described in the first embodiment, with the upper groups and the lower groups lying, respectively, in side-by-side relationship.

In use of this construction, the eye members are opera-be so that the lengths of nylon yarn from packages carried on the lower mounting members intermesh with lengths of yarn from both of the upper groups of mounting members. This operation results in a double layered lace construction, the layers being combined by lengths of yarn passing therebetween.

In yet another modification in which there are provided two upper and lower groups of members, the eye members are operable so that some of the lengths of nylon yarn from packages carried on the lower mounting members intermesh only with lengths of the yarn from the packages carried on one group of the upper mounting members, whereas other lengths of yarn from the lower packages intermesh with lengths of yarn from both of the upper groups.

In a second embodiment shown in FIGURES 4 to 6, a lace-fabric making machine for making lace-fabric of tubular form has an upper group of mounting members 46 which are disposed, in plan view (FIGURE 5), in equally spaced-apart relationship around a pitch circle. A lower group of mounting members 47 (FIGURE 4) are disposed in equally spaced-apart relationship around another pitch circle of equal diameter to that and co axial with that upon which the mounting members 46 lie, the members of the lower group being disposed directly beneath the spaces between. the members 46, one to each space.

Instead of each mounting member 46 comprising a base plate with a rim similar to the rim 10 of the first embodiment, each mounting member 46 comprises a base plate 48 formed at its edge with an annular groove 49 similar in shape to the groove 11 of the platform 8 of the first embodiment, the sides and base of the groove 49 forming abutment surfaces for engagement withreleasable supporting means (to be described). The upper and lower groups of mounting members are otherwise similar in construction, respectively, to the upper and lower groups of mounting members described in the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals are used for similar parts.

As is particularly shown in FIGURE 4, each mount ing member 46 is carried within a framework 66 by means of a radially outer and a radially inner releasable supporting means. The radially outer supporting means comprises an upper supporting catch 5t] and a lower supporting catch 51, and the radially inner supporting means comprises an upper supporting catch Stla and lower supporting catch 51a. Each upper catch 50 and 50a is arcuately-shaped at its end 52 (FIGURE 5) for engagement with the groove 49 of its associated base plate 48, and as shown in FIGURE 4, the end 52 of each upper catch and the upper end 53 of each catch 51 and 51a are complementarily-shaped, respectively, wit-l1 respect to the cross-sectional shapes of the grooves 49 and 11.

Each of the upper and lower catches is slidably mounted within bearings 54 (FIGURE 4) for movement into and out of a position in which it engages the abutment surfaces of either the groove 49 or groove 11, as the case may be, of its associated upper mounting member to support the mounting member.

Actuating means are provided for releasing each su porting means from its associated upper supporting member and for re-attaching it thereto. Each actuating means for the catches 5t) and 51 comprises respectively solenoids 55 and 56 (FIGURE 4) the plungers of which are secured, respectively, to the ends of the catches 50 and 51 remote from the ends 52 and 53. Similarly, solenoids 55a and 56a are connected, respectively, to catches 56a and 51a. Operation of the solenoids is controlled by limit switches (to be described in the description of the machine operation to follow) which ensure that the releasable supporting means of each mounting member 6 are moved alternately into and out of their positions in supporting engagement with the mounting member and that each supporting means is not released from its supporting position until the other supporting means is in supporting engagement with the mounting member.

Means are provided for ballooning filamentary material, as it is fed upwardly from each package carried on the lower mounting members, this means comprising, in respect of each lower mounting member, an eye member 27 rotatably mounted upon a framework member 57. The eye member is of similar construction to the eye member 27 of the first embodiment and comprises a passageway 28 and opening 30. The eye members 27 are located directly above the lower mounting members so that the eye members are located in spaced-apart relationship upon a pitch circle of equal diameter to that upon which the lower mounting members lie (FIG- URE 6).

Means are provided for rotating the eye members so that lengths of ballooned material from all of the eye members pass simultaneously across the pitch circle of the eye members, one length of material disposed in the gap between each adjacent pair of upper members. This means comprises as shown in FIGURES 4 and 6, an endless chain 58 which extends around sprockets 31 secured to the eye members, and around a plurality of sprockets 59 located in spaced-apart relationship upon a pitch circle of smaller diameter than that of the eye members 31. One of the sprockets 59 is drivable by an electric motor (not shown) through gearing (not shown), and the re mainder of the sprockets are freely rotatably mounted upon the framework member 57.

A pair of nip rolls (not shown) are disposed above the groups of mounting members for taking up lace-fabric made from filamentary material drawn from packages supported by the mounting members.

In use of the machine, a wound package 60 of a length of nylon yarn is non-rotatably received upon each of the upper and lower mounting members, the ends 61 and 62 of the lengths of yarn from the lower and upper packages being fed, respectively, through the eye members 27 and the eyes 9b (FIGURE 4), the ends of the lengths 61 and 62 then being passed upwardly in side-by-side relationship and through the nip of the nip rolls. The electric driving motor is then switched on and simultaneously drives the nip rolls to draw the material upwardly from the packages, and rotates the eye members 27.

As the lengths of nylon yarn are drawn upwardly by the nip rolls, rotation of each member 27 rotates the length 61 of yarn passing therethrough and throws the length of yarn out centrifugally in arcuate form to form a balloon which encompasses the two upper mounting members 46 and their supported packages lying nearest the eye member 27. FIGURE shows, in dotted outline, the paths 63 of some of the lengths 61 of yarn as they rotate around two of the upper mounting members. It follows therefore, that two lengths 61 of yarn are moved around each upper mounting member 46, alternately from each of the two packages carried on the two immediately adjacent lower mounting members, as can be seen by the positions of the paths 63 in FIGURE 5.

As the eye members rotate, when each of the two lengths 61 of yarn from the adjacent lower mounting members has passed through a space formed between an upper mounting member 46 and each of the catches 50 and 51 (FIGURE 4), a limit switch (not shown) is actuated by one of the eye members of the two adjacent lower mounting members. Actuation of the limit switch energises the solenoids 55 and 56 to move these catches 5t and 51 into their positions in engagement, respectively, with the grooves 49 and 11 to support the mounting member 46. When the catches 50 and 51 are in their supporting positions, they actuate limitswitches 64 (FIGURE 4) to de-energise the solenoids 55a and 56a to withdraw the catches 50a and 51a away from their positions (shown in FIGURE 4) in sup-porting engagement with the mounting member 46 to provide a space between the catches and the mounting member. When, during continued rotation of the eye members, the two lengths of yarn have passed through the space between the catches 50a. and 51a and the mounting member, another limit switch (not shown) is actuated by one of the eye members to energise the solenoids 55a and 56a to return the catches 50a and 51a to their positions in engagement with the mounting member 46 as shown in FIGURE 4. When the catches 50a and 51a are located in these positions, they operate limit switches 65 to de-energise the solenoids 55 and 56 to withdraw the catches 50 and 51 to the positions shown in FIGURE 4 to provide a space for a subsequent passage therethrough of the two lengths 61 of yarn from the adjacent lower mounting members.

Because of the lengths 61 of yarn are ballooned around the upper mounting members in this manner, each length 61 passes around two adjacent lengths 62 of yarn drawn from the upper packages, and as the 0 mounting members are disposed in spaced relationship around pitch circles, then as the material moves upwardly towards the nip rolls, a continuous length of lacefabric of tubular form is produced.

The machines described in the above embodiments and the modifications thereof may be used for the manufacture of lace for use as reinforcement layers in articles as described in the specification of my co-pending patent application Ser. No. 426,596, filed January 19, 1965, now United States Letters Patent No. 3,280,878.

Having now described my invention what I claim is:

1. A lace-fabric making machine comprising first and second spaced-apart groups of mounting members for supporting a plurality of wound-packages of filamentary material, a plurality of releasable supporting means for each mounting member of the second group, each supporting means being movable between a position in engagement with its associated mounting member of the second group to hold said mounting member in a predetermined position relative to the members of the first group, and a position spaced-apart from said mounting member while at least one other supporting means is disposed in a position in engagement with said mounting member, taking-up means located in a position on one side of the second group of mounting members for taking-up lace made from filamentary material drawn from the packages supported by the mounting members, rotary means located on another side of the second group of mounting members for forming a balloon of filamentary material being unwound from each of the packages of the first group, each balloon encompassing at least two adjacent mounting members of the second group with adjacent balloons encompassing at least one common mounting member of the second group, and means for driving the rotary means, said rotary means being operable so that rotary motion of the filamentary material forming the balloons is such that the filamentary material of each balloon avoids filamentary material of the other balloons and the releasable supporting means having a sequence and timing of operation to allow ballooned material to pass between each releasable supporting means and its associated mounting member when the supporting means is disposed in its position spacedapart from the mounting member.

2. A machine according to claim 1 wherein in respect of each mounting member of the second group, each releasable supporting means comprises at least two supporting catches, the mounting member comprises at least two abutment surfaces for engagement each by at least one of the catches to hold said mounting member in said predetermined position, and actuating means, operably connected to each catch, provided to move the catch between its positions in engagement with, and spaced-apart from, an abutment surface of the mounting member.

3. A machine according to claim 2 wherein each mounting member of the second group comprises a spindle for location within a wound package, said spindle having a plurality of radially outwardly extending projections, the projections being located in at least two axially-spaced apart positions, and the abutment surfaces for engagement with the catches being provided upon radially outer regions of the projections.

4. A machine according to claim 2 wherein the mounting members of the second group are disposed substantially in straight line relationship, and common operating shafts being provided and drivably connected to the catches, each common operating shaft being operably connected to the actuating means to move the catches mounted upon that shaft simultaneously into and out of engagement with the abutment surface of the mounting members.

5. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the mounting members are located in spaced-apart positions around 9 10 an axis for the manufacture of lace-fabric of tubular 7. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the lace form. taking-up means comprises a pair of rotatable nip rolls.

6. A machine according to claim 1 wherein, in respect of each mounting member of the first group, said References Cited by the Examiner rotary means comprises an eye member having a passage- 5 FOREIGN PATENTS Way for passage therethrough of filamentary material, said eye member being rotatably mounted about an axis 7191 5/1927 k of rotation and being located between the groups of 7:192 5/1927 Australiamounting members and having an opening to the passage- Way Which is remote from the first group of members 10 FRANK COHEN P y Examme' and is radially offset from the axis of rotation. J. PETRAKES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A LACE-FABRIC MAKING MACHINE COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND SPACED-APART GROUPS OF MOUNTING MEMBERS FOR SUPPORTING A PLURALITY OF WOUND-PACKAGES OF FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, A PLURALITY OF RELEASABLE SUPPORTING MEANS FOR EACH MOUNTING MEMBER OF THE SECOND GROUP, EACH SUPPORTING MEANS BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN A POSITION IN ENGAGEMENT WITH ITS ASSOCIATED MOUNTING MEMBER OF THE SECOND GROUP TO HOLD SAID MOUNTING MEMBER IN A PREDETERMINED POSITION RELATIVE TO THE MEMBERS OF THE FIRST GROUP, AND A POSITION SPACED-APART FROM SAID MOUNTING MEMBER WHILE AT LEAST ONE OTHER SUPPORTING MEANS IS DISPOSED IN A POSITION IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID MOUNTING MEMBER, TAKING-UP MEANS LOCATED IN A POSITION ON ONE SIDE OF THE SECOND GROUP OF MOUNTING MEMBERS FOR TAKING-UP LACE MADE FROM FILAMENTARY MATERIAL DRAWN FROM THE PACKAGES SUPPORTED BY THE MOUNTING MEMBERS, ROTARY MEANS LOCATED ON ANOTHER SIDE OF THE SECOND GROUP OF MOUNTING MEMBERS FOR FORMING A BALLOON OF FILAMENTARY MATERIAL BEING UNWOUND FROM EACH OF THE PACKAGES OF THE FIRST GROUP, EACH BALLOON ENCOMPASSING AT LEAST TWO ADJACENT MOUNTING MEMBERS OF THE SECOND GROUP WITH ADJACENT BALLOONS ENCOMPASSING AT LEAST ONE COMMON MOUNTING MEMBER OF THE SECOND GROUP, AND MEANS FOR DRIVING THE ROTARY MEANS, SAID ROTARY MEANS BEING OPERABLE SO THAT ROTARY MOTION OF THE FILAMENTARY MATERIAL FORMING THE BALLOONS IS SUCH THAT THE FILAMENTARY MATERIAL OF EACH BALLOON AVOIDS FILAMENTARY MATERIAL OF THE OTHER BALLOONS AND THE RELEASABLE SUPPORTING MEANS HAVING A SEQUENCE AND TIMING OF OPERATION TO ALLOW BALLOONED MATERIAL TO PASS BETWEEN EACH RELEASABLE SUPPORTING MEANS AND ITS ASSOCIATED MOUNTING MEMBER WHEN THE SUPPORTING MEANS IS DISPOSED IN ITS POSITION SPACEDAPART FROM THE MOUNTING MEMBER. 